Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-08-18

His First Acquaintance with the New
Teacher.
The new teacher had come to board
at Bert's house, and the little boy
thought he ought to be sociable. So
he came into the room, and, perching
his round little self on the window-sill,
watched the young lady while she piled
up her books and hung away her
dresses.
She was thin, pleasant-looking
young lady, with gray eyes and short,
wavy brown hair. She was wise
young lady, too, for she went quietly
about her work, giving Bert time to de-
eide what he thought of her.
Some folks don't know any better
than to suppose that children can like
everybody at first sight; but this
teacher did. She loved little brown
boys with black eyes, like Bert, better
than any other kind; but she wasn't
going to tease him to sit on her lap and
kiss her the very first thing.
After few minutes. she sat down..by
the bed and began to write, holding
the paper on her geography.
Bert drew a long breath, and broke
the silence. He had made up his mind
to like her.
'It's a windy day tomorrow" he
remarked, with an odd little air of
gravity, as if he realized the import
ance of the subject.
The teacher laughed-not as if she
was laughing at him, but as if she
fully agreed with his statement-and
said: Don't you want to see the pict-
ures in my big book?''
Yes, Bert did. If there was one
thing he liked above all others, it was
any ponies?" he asked. rambling
down from his high seat and coming
over to lean on the teachers knee,
where the big book was already spread
out.
20, y-e-sr' he continued, putting
his chubby finger on camel, ''here's
| a pony; but he bumped his back
awful and made big bunch on it.
Did he fall down stairs?"
The teacher laughed again, harder
than before; but she told Bert all
about the camels, and how they stack
ed their 70 cd away in the shape of fat,
to live on when they crossed the
deserts.
Bert listened with intense interest.
"Wish't had hump like that" he
said; 'then I wouldn't get hungry
tween meals. My muvver don't like to
have me eat tween meals, 'cept only
gems, and don't like gems;'-then,
with sudden change of subject II
like to go to picnics. went to FORT n
July picnic once, and had lots of nice
frings."
"What did you haveT' asked the
teacher, interestedly.
co." said Bert, his mouth rounding
into delighted remembrance, water
nm trtsgs"' he finished, with shin
ing eyes and hands rapturously up
lifted. For the third time the teacher
laughed. Then she tossed aside the
geography. took Bert on her lap and
taught him to count the three rows of
little black buttons on her green dress.
After this they were fast friends,
and many were the pleasant times they
uttu together. Cuc hlHl %
piece for the last day of school, and he
said it standing on the table with her
arm around him and his hands thrust
into his two linen pockets, clutching
the candy with which she had filled
them, and which he had promised not
to eat until after he had spoken. This
was the piece:
"There was once little mig
And he had curly wig,
Andhe said to his mother. L declare, I declare
I've mind to run away
From this stupid house to-day,
And go to see the sights at the Fair
But his mother said to he;
tPiggy-wig, it can not be;
You must stay and mind the baby while go;
But if you are very good,
And obey me as you should,
You shall have lump Of sugar white as snow"
Bert thought it was very funny that
the piggy-wig's mother should be
named Ida Claire for there was a
little girl by that name who went to
school, and he could not understand,
the exclamation, Il declared in any
other way.
His crooked little tongue twisted
the words in a most amusing manner.
but every body understood what he
said, and voted him the best speaker
of them all.
On the last line, he gave sudden
wild flourish of his fat little arms,
which ended in an emphatic hug
around the teacher neck. She lifted
him to his mammals lap, where he
ate his candy, and then went to sleep,
waking only in time to tell the teacher
goodbye, as she rode away with her
brother.
He missed her very much all the
summer; but in three months she
came back to begin another term of
school.
This time, her brother drove span
of mules, and Bert who had never
seen any before, was so taken up with
them that he did not notice tho teacher
at first.
why. Bert" she cried, running up
the steps. didn't you know mep''
..Ho!" said Bert with joyous
spring into her arms. "a saw some
ears out there. but didn't know who
1t was."-N I. Examiner.